Virtual Meetings and Your Brain: Four Ways to Refresh

Almost as soon as the COVID-19 pandemic forced the widespread adoption of remote working practices, the term “Zoom fatigue” entered the business lexicon as a synonym of the tiredness, worry, or burnout associated with the use of meeting platforms such as Zoom, Teams, and Webex. Workers reported feeling exhausted by the endless cycle of virtual meetings and attributed their low energy levels to factors such as the lack of natural interactions with colleagues or the increased self-consciousness from the perception of others staring at them.

Despite the current return-to-office trend, virtual meetings are here to stay. One recent study found that one-third of professionals still have up to four virtual meetings a day.1 It is also estimated that 98% of all organizational meetings will have at least one remote participant going forward.2 So virtual meeting fatigue is still an ongoing problem.

Science-based evidence of virtual meeting fatigue, however, has been harder to come by. Numerous research studies based on self-reported survey data have examined virtual meeting fatigue, as well as its links to undesired outcomes such as poor meeting engagement, physical strains, stress, and decreased productivity. Our recent research, however, now shows that there is a neurological basis to virtual meeting fatigue.3

In two separate experiments, we analyzed the effects of virtual meetings using electroencephalography (EEG) to measure the activity of the central nervous system, and electrocardiography (ECG) to assess autonomic nervous system (ANS) activation. Electrodes were placed on the head and chest to noninvasively record the brain and heart activity of participants engaged in a virtual meeting.

In the first experiment, study participants took part in both a 50-minute videoconference and face-to-face meeting while wearing EEG and ECG devices.4 The resulting brain and ANS readings suggested that videoconferencing led to significantly greater signs of fatigue compared with the face-to-face alternative. Specifically, continuous EEG data showed increases in theta and alpha activities, along with a higher theta-beta ratio, and event-related potentials based on an oddball paradigm also showed significant changes. Additionally, a decrease in heart rate and an increase in various heart rate variability metrics were observed.

In the second experiment, the layout of the virtual meeting platform was manipulated so that sometimes participants could view their own mirror image (a default setting on most virtual meeting platforms) and at other times the mirror-image feature was disabled.5 Increases in electrical brain activity in the lower and upper alpha waves were used as EEG fatigue measures in this second study. When our study participants could view their own image when in a virtual meeting, electrical activity in the alpha bands rose significantly, indicating greater mental fatigue. In sum, our experiments show that virtual meeting fatigue is real, differs from the fatigue experienced in face-to-face settings, and can be exacerbated by the platform features used.

Strategies to Address Fatigue

Given the neurological basis for virtual meeting fatigue, business leaders need to do something to address it, particularly in an era of remote and hybrid work, to protect employees’ well-being, enhance their engagement in virtual meetings, and sustain their work productivity. To determine what strategies work in mitigating virtual meeting fatigue, we conducted in-depth interviews with 30 management consultants and IT professionals from high-profile companies. The findings from these interviews suggest that companies and individuals can adopt more nuanced approaches to alleviate the negative impacts of virtual meetings. While many organizations have turned to strategies like "meeting-free days" and promoting regular breaks, our interviews indicate that these solutions alone may not fully address the issue. A more effective approach involves a combination of targeted company policies and adaptable individual behaviors that, together, can help mitigate the draining effects of virtual meetings. Consider taking the following actions.

Mix in audio-only meetings. While business etiquette dictates that workers should have their cameras turned on during virtual meetings, audio-only meetings can help offset mental fatigue in two ways. First, to make up for the lack of obvious nonverbal cues during in-person meetings, we tend to display exaggerated body language through a screen. This creates additional effort and adds to the cognitive load for both the speaker and listeners, hindering attendees’ capacity to focus on the actual subject matter at hand.

For example, cybersecurity consultant Joe has numerous weekly in-person and virtual meetings to advise clients on emerging threats but finds the virtual meetings most tiring. He attributes this fatigue to the eccentric behavior he tends to habitually adopt on video calls to make up for his lack of physical presence. Conscious of his exaggerated body language on video calls, “trying to control my hand gestures and facial expressions for the duration of a meeting only adds to my cognitive load,” he said. Audio-only alternatives eliminate this need to “overperform” during meetings.

Second, audio-only enables workers to participate in a meeting while on the move. Neuroscience research confirms that moderate physical activity offsets mental fatigue during a cognitive task, a correlation validated by many of the professionals we spoke with.6 For example, soon after moving to a fully remote role with a routine of daily virtual meetings, IT consultant Meri noticed a sharp decrease in her energy levels. She suspected that being tethered to a fixed screen for meetings was a root cause. Now, when she attends a virtual meeting, she first asks whether her camera really needs to be on. For a client meeting, the answer will usually be yes, but for many internal meetings, other participants don’t need to see her. She takes those meetings on her phone and walks around her neighborhood. Meri told us that when she is audio-only, she is less distracted and more focused on what is being discussed in the meeting, and the change of scene and a light physical workout leaves her more energized for the rest of the day.

To combat the fatigue associated with virtual meetings, business leaders should establish clear norms around video usage, allowing or even encouraging team members to switch to audio-only mode when appropriate. By normalizing audio-only participation when visuals aren’t essential, leaders can reduce cognitive load, help employees maintain focus, and foster a culture that prioritizes well-being and productivity.

Adopt a single virtual meeting platform. Many professionals we interviewed explained that the constant switching between Zoom, Teams, Webex, Google Meet, and Slack caused additional strains that drained their energy. Each platform has a unique interface and functionalities that take time to adjust to. For example, all such platforms allow users to share their own screen with other participants, but the process of initiating this feature differs across applications. It has been well established in neuroscience research that our brains are not wired to efficiently handle such task switching, and this additional mental effort generates fatigue.7

For example, Peter, a digital transformation consultant focusing on the banking industry, explained that clients usually dictate what virtual meeting platform to use, so he’s constantly switching between different video platforms. Even though he has used all of the main platforms multiple times before, he finds that “the settings can be slightly different to what I expect when I join a meeting. I have to spend time figuring out how to unmute or change my background. It’s a bit of a challenge and causes delays. It can be frustrating for me and the client. That shifting around catches up on you and adds to the fatigue.”

For internal meetings, at least, exclusively using a single, standard, familiar platform can significantly reduce fatigue by minimizing the time and mental energy employees spend navigating different interfaces. When everyone is comfortable with one tool, teams can focus more on collaboration and less on managing technical logistics, thus enhancing overall productivity and reducing unnecessary stress.

Practice IT mindfulness. When working with IT, some people exhibit a genuine curiosity about how the system works, are intrigued by its features and failures, and explore how it can be used in other ways that add value. This is what is known as IT mindfulness.8 Those among our interviewees who demonstrated this trait appeared to manage virtual meeting fatigue more effectively than others, as they actively explored and adapted the technology to better suit their needs.

Kevin, for example, a senior manager in a software development company, found that experimenting with the features of the various meeting platforms he uses is key to offsetting fatigue. He acknowledged that his natural curiosity in how IT works played a central role in landing his first role with the company as a support engineer. Later, when he started to become drained by virtual meetings, his mindful approach to IT kicked in and he “played around” with the settings to find a setup that felt less draining. “I had to adapt and hack the app to make it work for me,” he explained. “I am always changing the background, the audience view, the microphone settings … just trying to get the meeting to feel more natural. Virtual meetings don’t sap my energy as much anymore.”

The key takeaway for virtual meeting attendees is to remain adaptable and proactive in exploring the evolving capabilities of this technology. Embracing new features and experimenting with innovative functionalities can not only enhance collaboration and drive engagement but also — importantly — combat the monotony and fatigue that often accompanies virtual meetings.

Switch off self-view. The sentiments from our interviews supported the findings from our brain activity experiment: Prolonged self-focused attention generates fatigue. Constantly seeing oneself onscreen increases self-awareness and self-evaluation because people are naturally inclined to monitor their appearance and expressions, which can lead to feelings of self-consciousness and even self-criticism. Project manager Claire told us that for her, “it is really important to have the option to hide my self-view in a video meeting. It is really tiring to be constantly seeing myself onscreen. The mirror image makes me feel like I have to look good on camera, which is mentally taxing when repeated throughout the day.” This type of self-monitoring also drains energy over time by forcing workers to split their attention between the meeting content and their own image. And the self-view mode does not discriminate: Although prior brain imaging experiments have suggested that women react differently, and more adversely, than men when observing themselves onscreen, our neurological experiment and interviews revealed that men are equally susceptible to the exhausting effects of self-view mode.9

Our advice is to switch off self-view mode. There is nothing inherently wrong with glancing at our own image during a virtual meeting to see how others perceive us, but leaving self-view on for extended periods carries a cognitive price. The cognitive load from self-monitoring can make it more difficult to stay engaged in the conversation or contribute meaningfully. In virtual settings, where nonverbal cues are already limited, maintaining a continuous self-view may heighten self-consciousness and reduce our ability to fully attend to others, ultimately affecting both individual performance and group dynamics.

Virtual meetings are here to stay, but despite their advantages in efficiency and reach, they come with a hefty cost: fatigue. The good news is that, with the right strategies, this fatigue can become less of a problem. Our research suggests that a balanced approach that integrates thoughtful organizational policies with mindful individual practices can reduce the toll that endless screen time takes on workers.